Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Yoolympia.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Yoolympiaxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Fort Myers, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and good postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventor in November, 1997, in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-4620, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-5334, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla. in December, 1998. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, desirable inflorescence form and ray floret colors, fast response time, and excellent postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in March, 1999. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yoolympia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yoolympiaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yoolympiaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Uniform, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.
3. Dark green-colored foliage.
4. Uniform flowering habit.
5. Early flowering, 7.5-week response time.
6. Large decorative-type inflorescences.
7. White-colored ray florets.
8. Excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about five weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in ray floret coloration as plants of the new Chrysanthemum have white-colored ray florets whereas plants of the female parent selection have golden bronze-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about three to four days earlier than plants of the female parent selection.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in inflorescence form as plants of the new Chrysanthemum have fully double (decorative)-type inflorescences whereas plants of the male parent selection have semi-double-type inflorescences.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Surf, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,585. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Surf in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger, broader and more vigorous than plants of the cultivar Surf.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three or four days earlier than plants of the cultivar Surf.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Surf.
4. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum did not xe2x80x9cpinkxe2x80x9d when grown under cool growing conditions whereas ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Surf did xe2x80x9cpinkxe2x80x9d when grown under cool growing conditions.